Crate



Jan. 15, 1935. M. v. ALBAUGH CRATE Filed Sept. 6, 1932 c vvprises in; addition tothefour. upstanding corner-y Patented Jan. 15, 1935 lewe f Merton-rv. Albaugnijsefrwyn, ,n Application september 6,*1932,seria1 No.,ss1,s2'2` 2 claims: (on 217-36) .The present invention relates generally to crates for use in transportingand vending vegetables'and other farmproduce. More yparticularly, the invention relates to that'type of crate crate of the type under consideration in which the sides andendsy are. secured iixedly together bymeans of four. elongated, upstandingV cornerbrackets which are formed of steel oranycther 20 suitable. metalzand yare bentk longitudinally and at right angles-seas to lform legs for ,lapping and supporting the; endsof the islats, 'v

.in Anothervffobjecto'f the' invention istd provide ,a'crate of.l thelast mentioned characterin which 25 embody inwardly extendingy prongs* lfor i penetral; tion. within `:the ends of the slats and yhave oppositely facing; pairs of tongues'which are.v adapted vto be bent around the Slat-.ends and serve to hold A n 30 *the slats' against vertical displacement and Jin' connected relation with respect to the inwardly @extending Drongs.;v n

a transporting-i and vending crate of y the charac- `ter and .type under consideration which. coml brackets,. ,awpairf of f horizontally extending f,tongue-equipped.brackets which serve to connect in place the endsof the. bottom lslats and are V connected to the lower ends of the corner brack-Y ets .gsofasfto effect a rigid connection between kthe bottom andthe sidesand ends of the crate.

,. 'j A stilli'urther object yof the invention is to provide ra crateof they aforementioned type in i 45, Iwhich each of the horizontally extending brack- `etsfor securing rin place the bottom slats has-the' @ends thereof, connected pivotally to the lowerends Yof .twozpof Lthe upstanding corner-brackets so that such two corner-brackets may be swung together `for shipping purposes. v l In addition, it iscontemplated `as one of the vobjects of the invention to provide a transporting and vending crate which is Igenerallyioi' new yand improved. construction. and may ber manna 55,facture1 at aflowand. reasonable21:05t,r I

`clusion hereof.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a :the legs of the four metallic` corner-brackets' Ill.

Other objects'of'the invention andthe various -f advantages' and characteristics of the present "crate construction will be apparent from a con- "sideration of the followingdetailed.description.

'Ihevvinvention consists"`=in the lseveral novel 5 features which' are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the oo n- In the drawing which accompanies andfforms 7 va part? off-this specicationlor disclosure andf-'in l0 which like numerals-fof reference `denote cori-'e1y spending parts throughoutthe'sl-verall views;` i

Figure lisa perspective fa crate embodying the invention?. '--I I j vFigure 2;.' is affragmentary'perspective offene* l5 ofthe corners of the crate, showing in detail the rmanner 'in which the prongs and'tonguesofthe corner-brackets and lhorizontallyy extending brackets` serve to connectxedly'in place-the ends of the slats which formthe`s ides',endsA and\.1220

bottom'of the crate;-'y *l 1 n Figure` 3 is a :detailed lhorizontal fsection "exhibiting the mannerin which' the ends ofi-'the slats whichformthe sides and ends of the "crate by the corner-brackets;

are secured l'andiheld iixedly'in4 abutting relationV 25 the portionfof the crate whichis shown in Figure; and

Figure 5`is1a perspective offonefof thehori# Zontally extending brackets for securing in placeaao y the bottom slats, showing the' manner in `,which y, y v sucnbr'acket is: connectedpivotauyft the 'lwer -Y 1 jA further objectof the Ainvention is to providev ends of two'of the'corner-brackets vsofthat thev "latter maylbe'swungf together into substantially parallel relation for shipping purposes( A, 135 The crate-which" `forms the subject mattei-lof the present invention is designed primarily'to be used by truck `farmers `A in connection with the transportation and vending of vegetables and other farm produce; -It "isrectangularin-r con-x40 `standing corner-brackets 12' and two horizontally extending'brackets 13. "The upstanding cornerbrackets 12 serve to hold in lplace the slatsof Ithesides 'and ends of the cratefand-arey connect'ed directly-to thev ends of thel slats 9and10=55 Vbent longitudinally so as to form legs 14 and15 K which extend at right angles to each other. 10V The brackets am.: pnferabiyfbent so 1that 'the legs lare slightly wider than theilegs .1.4. The ends ofl the side slats. 9 t against the inner faces of the legs 14 and are arranged so amati.

the end edges thereof abut directly againstwthe 15 inner faces of the legs 15, as shown particularly?" I! the ends of the side slats .9 in vplace, the legs,-

in Figure 3 of the drawing.

14 of the corner-brackets".ianeprovided with VV-shaped prongs 16. These prongs-fameifoasmed 20 integrally with and extend inwardly from =the .the fennzlsrfof"v the Avslats by driving `tlfxedatter i .-thereaeaimszt -1 Inworder Yto :prevent .fthe slats frannfbeingdoosened fwifhfrespectwto -thmxongs l, g55-...and to vhold the slatsg.

Y minst@ver-tical'displacemen-t, pairs offtongues-il? are: provided. These arefformed integra-ily kwi'ltli v'extension parts 18 on the freeV edges of thelegSxfMgand respect to extension, parts 1i8 in; such a mmertthat they spend .contactdinectly with fthe. side ledges,V ofy Vthe slats 9. The aextreme distal ends of the tongues i are '.-bentf-at, right Vcfg the :slats :and tiagainst `the inner. faces .of

l .prevent themtirom becoming-..looselrelatively itc. ...Aufthemongs partsvm vserve ato space the tongues .1'7 from,1the fr.ee;.sigie.fedesl Y thejlegs:14.lhe1uppertongues of the ampervv,most pairs, .instead-oi? being .connected tothefexjtension parts, Aagregfoizmed .ars extensions offthe f V; r.um-w17 ends :0f maenner-'brackets v1.2 smerig,-

ure 2). `The ends of theiendrslats. (11).itggagainst.r

f flagainst the.,.enf.isV of .l yfthe .f side slats 59 rlas `r-shown. 50iin-Igiguire 3. For ltheopurposenof. :holding the ...serrvetoeholdgthe slats;- ioiof. che ends :iwf the cratesin alignment withthezslats-Q of "the-sides f :6. vE1n-order to hold thefslats 10 againstlvertical displacement {.anditoA preventzthem-.from being l .f'loosemad 7with respect to ,the prongs 1-9, pairs f of .xf'I`hese.tongues are. Aformed integrally V,with -,ex ftensionf parts 21won `atheffree or 1outeredgesof g-fthetbracket v.legs n .15 :and are :'-bent v intvardly so .wthatthey lap .the side fedges,offithefjslats 10. r=?1'l1e,:-oute1. for distallends :of the ftongues 1T are .bentmt .right angles. .tothe `port-:1011s :which lap thesidefedgesfotfthe slats ylozandiitdirectly V against fthe-V. inner. faces .of fthe.; slats` 10 sofA as' to pmventzinward .movementlofgtheslats The tongues .420@ are spaced'. fromgsfthe. f .outer;;.or -free slats l10 YAof :the .crate-.endstzfl and are connected;-

edges of the legs` 15 by the extension parts 21 and are horizontally aligned with thevtongues 17 on the bracket legs 14. The extension parts 21 are positioned between the rprongs 19 and each embodies the lower tongue of one pair and the upper. tongue of the subjacent pair. The upper tongues 20 ofY the uppermostpairs are in the natureof extensions of the upper .ends of the bracket legs 15 instead of; being attached to the extensionrrparts;Anzadvantagegald characteristic 'ofk utilizingY the prongs-and tongues on the legs 14 and 15 of the corner-brackets 12 is that the slats of the sides and ends 'ofthe crate lare securedrigidly together.l lArr additional adyantage and .characteristic of utilizing the pnongsandtongues is that'no nails need be used in the fabrication Vofh the crate and the crate is extrmely drabl'ef'and welll adapted for the purpose'lgtorfwhich it is designed;

' The horizontally extending brackets 13 are 20 .are hentglongitudinallyo y.as to ormzsyentienlly extending :legs 22fand: horizontally, aextendingilegs 23f .They agirefpos'itiiinledx directlylben'eathkmhe by Arivets ,24 .to the legs 15 ofthe .corner brackets 12. The ends of the slats. 11.uf-,izherdixottom'.A B restgrunonr .the horizontally*.extendingxlegsf of the brackets 8i and areqzarmnged. so-sthattheiend edges thereof .abutL-directIyagainSt .the inner' ivfajces. ofthe yertically. extendingiflegs122."10pipositelyzfa'cing pairs .ofztongueszi arey associated :withthe `lrxorizontally .extending legs^23 1and -serve y to hold the bottom slatsLLi-l :ini place'. lFFI'hev 35 .-onslesafto :portionsiwhich flap :the --side :edges H tongues 25 vare )formed integrallyfwith .extensionij parts 126.10m thel outer .'or. :free Vedges' )of 'ithefs'legs 23 vand 'are .bent .upxamrdly` and :thenfir'mneudlil so l:as to laplthe sidesedgesof therslatsllvand-flt against :the .top :i aces of ithe slats 5 so .as to-fprevent .verticaland horizontal displacement oilthe: slats 1.40

The crate. :lis ,n '1'p1ze1eranly` whipped l lthe .fmanufacturerito ithe' user l.in `Elmockdownwiorm, 'that Lismithzthe slats .separateifromtheicorner .brackets ;;12 and. :the :horizontally `extending.45 .brackets yn3. orderrto tacllitatefshipnmntfof .the bracktsthe. prongs aand rtongues' Aare )not :bent finto. place lv'and the rivetsclueare arranged Y `V`so .that they. textendf :through ithewends 0"! 'the y'vertically .extending .legs122 ofA the ybri,soket.55"1311550 and '.permit .theJfcorner-abraoke'ts ftof--swing-itogether into substantially pariilllel.l relationgvas ishownzinzFiguref. i The two'cornerbraokets for eachz:horizontallyxtendingbrackot lgarepreierably .zalrranged =s...that one pivotsragainst :ithe 155 inner :fiane-r :nfftithe `yerticallyextending#flag Vr:22 andthe other .pivots against ithefouterv-acelof a ,said leg. .arrangement acllit'ateswinging :the ,cornenbrackets into shipping position.

121arefflzst intoztheirx-norrnalforppe tive position eahdmthen.:thesfprongsvndtongusmn a legs -by the .of ;pliers. or f any :other suitable `in .Figure '.Upon completionj 'of the-"prong A'and tongue bending foperation, 'the fbottom'fs'lats" 1122570 .,-garearrangedfsothatf the ends thereof')fit5 between the tongues ,225, and rest the flegs"23. *While ciiheibottommtsae .fin :thisfpositiong'l the? tongues ".aiare driven omer ftlieztop. faces :of fthe lbottom slats in4 :index-ato ssemnezthsmottom lslats luxeon-$75.

Lacasse nected relation with respect to the brackets 13. After assembly of the bottom of the crate, the side slats 9 are positioned so that the ends thereof fit between the tongues 17. While in this position, the vslats are hammered outwardly in order to embed the prongs 16 into 'the slats. After the driving or hammering operation, the tongues 17 are bent over the inner'faces of the side slats 9 in order to form locking connections whereby the slats are held against vertical and inward displacement. After the sides of the crate are in place, the end slats 10 are arranged so that the ends thereof fit between the tongues of the legs 15 of the corner-brackets. While so positioned, the slats are driven outwardly in order to embed the prongs 19 into the ends of the end slats. With the prongs soy embedded, the outer or distal ends of thek tongues 20 are bent over the inner faces of the end1 slats 10', as shown in Figure 2. This last operation cornpletes the assembly of the' crate. In its assembled or completed form, the crate is extremely durable, is capable of withstanding rough usage by reason of the fact that the slats which form the bottom, sides and ends are permanentlyI andv eillciently locked in place.

'I'he crate herein described may be manufactured at a low and reasonable cost and may be sent from the manufacturer to the user in knock-down form.

Whereas 'the crate has been described as being adapted primarily for use in transporting and vending vegetables and other farm produce, it is to be understood that the crate may be put to other uses. It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to the details set forth,I since these may be modiiled within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is:

`1. A crate comprising in combination, a polygonal bottom, elongated, upstanding, metallic corner-brackets at the corners of the bottom bent longitudinally to form angularly disposed legs and having prongs on the legs and oppositely facing pairs of tongues at opposite sides of the prongs and on the legs, and horizontally extending, side-forming slats arranged in vertical series between the corner-brackets and having the ends thereof arranged so that they t between the tongues and have the prongs emtongues at the sides of the prongs, and hori-k zontally extending, side-forming slats arranged in a vertical series between the corner-brackets and having the ends thereof arranged so' 4that they fit against the inner faces of the legs and between the tongues and having the prongs, em-

bedded therein, said tongues being longer than the slats are thick and having the outer ends thereof bent around the side edges of the A'slats and over the inner faces of the slats soas to secure the slats in place and prevent them from being displaced with respect to the prongs.

MER'roN v. Ammon. 

